My sister set me up with a guy named Bill that was employed by her husband. I went out with Bill for a few months and he was charming at first, then bad things started coming out of his mouth. As soon as Bill told me he was involved in a bank robbery and was the mastermind (I found paperwork on his table regarding this) I wanted nothing to do with him. While we were driving in his sister’s truck I told Bill that I didn’t think that it was working out with us. Bill never said a word just drove up into the woods (nighttime) and started driving around a lake saying “that is not deep enough”. I said “what do you mean?” Bill said “to drown you in”. Then it was like one of those horror movies where you can’t find the door handle and you want to get out and run. Then put his hands around my throat and starting laughing. Bill got off on bullying and intimidating people (I found out). Then laughing he took me to his place and I scrambled to get in my car, but my car would not run. Bill drug me in the house laughing and would not let me leave. I hit Bill with the phone receiver so I would be able to get my kids and run. Bill kneed me in the head and was all excited that I tried to fight him, like it was a challenge he was looking forward too. Bill is 6’4″ 250 lbs at the time and I was about 140lbs. 5’3 1/2″. To make a long story short, Bill held me captive from February of 1993 to May 10, 1993 when I was able to escape. During that time Bill loved to suffociate me on the couch with my face pressed in the cushions and sit on me. Bill also liked to smash my face in the ground. I developed a severe case of claustrophobic. Bill also continuously raped me and intimated me. Bill told me if I told my family my children would die.

The night before my escape my children and I were playing a board game and Bill had been drinking all day and night. All of a sudden Bill took me in the bathroom and shoved my face into the ground and held my face there (I couldn’t breathe). I had a major panic attack and started screaming uncontrollably. Then I managed to get up and started throwing up blood. My daughter ran outside and started yelling “I am going to tell my dad you are mean to my mommy). Bill ran out and grabbed her. I thought how can I protect my children from him, he is so crazy and big. He set my daughter inside and I grabbed her and my kids and a butcher knife. I held pointed the knife at Bill and said “just let us leave”, “we just want to leave”. Bill, looking forward to the challenge grabbed a kitchen towel and wrapped it around his left arm and said “Come on, I have done this before”. I couldn’t do it. I just dropped the knife in the sink. Then Bill grabbed me away from my kids and tried to snap my neck until there was a loud snap. Then Bill let me go. I said “I have to go to the hospital my neck is broken”. Bill said I could go but if I tell anyone what he did he would kill my children. Bill locked my children in a room. I went to the nearest hospital that was about 20 miles. Terrified Bill would hurt my children the whole time. As soon as I entered the hospital, the man behind the counter to sign you in took one look at me and ran toward me and gently took my hand and put me in a back room. I must have looked a sight. Then the police showed up and they all wanted to know what happened. I said I was attacked. They asked if I knew who attacked me. I could not tell them for fear that Bill would kill my children that he held hostage. I said I didn’t know it was dark. The doctor said I have a broken neck and a reversed curvature to my neck that I needed to see a specialist. I went back and held my children tight. Bill asked if I was shaking, if I was he would hurt me more. I said no I am just tired.

The next morning Bill remembered last night and threw me on the couch and started choking me on the couch while on top of me. At the same time was saying “my dad used to make fun of me when I was little, he used to beat me up”. “Then when I got older I beat my dad up so bad I put him in the hospital”. Bills face was really red…I could no longer breathe…I thought this is the day that I die. Then all of a sudden Bill let go and sat in a chair in front of me and said he is going out and if I tell the police what he did to me that he would mess me up really bad and make it worth his while to go to jail.

As soon as Bill left I grabbed the children and went to PUD utility office and they put me in a nearby women’s shelter to protect us. Two policemen came and I told them my story, they went to get Bill. The policemen said they would call when they had him so I could go get my things. I don’t know how long it took, being in shock, but finally they called THEY HAD BILL. I was so relieved…we were safe. I went to the house and noticed the front window was out. Bill must have faught the police. I grabbed my things and went 100 miles away to my parents house.

A few days later, my teeth hurt really bad so I went to a dentist (thinking I needed a filling). The dentist after checking my mouth was really upset and said sternly “who did this to you!!” I asked the dentist what he meant. The dentist said that I have a broken, dislocated jaw and six cracked teeth that all need root canals, they were cracked so bad. I told the dentist and he said he has to do a report on this.

Because I waited so long to get these things taken care of they could only give me a upper and lower splint to wear the rest of my life for 14 hours a day. Which over the years threw away because it reminded me of the ordeal.

On my way to see the dentist that is doing the root canal I had a flat tire. I stopped at a gas station and got a fix a flat. I then decided not to go I went to the pay phone booth that was there (we didn’t have cell phones in those days). I was still in shock from the ordeal and I put the quarter in, it kept falling to the ground. I would then pick it up and it wossuld fall again. This continued for a few minutes and then a beautiful blonde young man around 25 came up to me and picked up the quarter, gently put in my hand and held it there and said “it is going to be okay”. Then he started to walk away and disappeared. Guess my guardian angel was protecting me all along.

I was on crime victims for 10 years in and out of hospitals.

I did not press charges against Bill, because I was terrified of him. Just thinking about it I would have trouble breathing. I wouldn’t let anyone sit next to me on a couch or touch my neck. Bill tried to scare me at work until my boss trespassed him. Four years later I woke up from it all and then the anger started. I wanted to protect myself and my children. I became a correction officer for maximum security for men to face my fears and got 240 hours of training how to deal with crazy and dangerous inmates. I was impowered then became armed federal, then moved on to homeland security. I am doing security now and will not allow anyone to bully me or anyone around me. I want to help protect women. When I went to get emotional help, there was no one that knew what I went through. Only ones that go through abuse know what it is like.

Finally, Bill found me again and parked next to me. I took down his license plate and at the time I was a lieutenant in security, I gave his license plate to my captain. The captain very angry about it took a couple of his police buddies and ran Bill’s plates and went to his house and told Bill that if he messed with me again, they would make his life hell. I have not seen Bill since. I heard he moved out of the area.